As Washington waits with bated bipartisan breath to unwrap the shiny Christmas present known as “the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group,” it becomes more and more obvious that the newly empowered Democrats are walking into a trap.

But it’s not an artful contrivance prepared for their demise by the infinitely devious Karl Rove — the “political genius” who, since his appearance on the national stage, has managed to lose two elections (2000 and 2004) and eke out very narrow, dubious victories in two others. (And it